Eric Carmen, Raspberries Frontman And ‘All By Myself’ Writer, Dies Aged 74
Eric Carmen, the frontman of 1970s pop-rock band Raspberries and solo artist responsible for hits including All by Myself and Hungry Eyes has died, his wife, Amy Carmen, revealed in a statement. She wrote that the singer died in his sleep over the weekend. Eric Carmen was 74 years old.
“It is with tremendous sadness that we share the heartbreaking news of the passing of Eric Carmen,” Carmen wrote. “Our sweet, loving and talented Eric passed away in his sleep, over the weekend. It brought him great joy to know, that for decades, his music touched so many and will be his lasting legacy. Please respect the family’s privacy as we mourn our enormous loss. ‘Love Is All That Matters… Faithful and Forever.’”
Eric Carmen was born in Cleveland, Ohio, on 11 August 1949. He began playing violin at age five before switching to classical piano. At college he joined the local group Cyrus Erie. By 1970, they merged with members of the Choir to form a new power pop band, Raspberries,
With Carmen on rhythm guitar, piano, and vocals, Raspberries released their self-titled debut album in 1972 and scored early hits Go All the Way, I Wanna Be With You, and Don’t Want to Say Goodbye. The same year they released second album Fresh and followed it up with Side 3 in 1973 and Starting Over in 1974. More hits singles came along, including Let’s Pretend, Tonight, Ecstasy, Overnight Sensation (Hit Record), but the band broke up in 1975.
Carmen launched a solo career with near-immediate success. His first singles, All by Myself and Never Gonna Fall in Love Again, both from his self-titled 1975 solo album, became massive hits, with the former reaching No 2 on the US Billboard chart. Carmen released six solo albums over the course of his career, the most recent of which, I Was Born to Love You, came out in 2000.